Russia is banned from the 2018 Olympics — but here's how its athletes can compete anyway

MOSCOW (AP) — The International Olympic Committee has barred the
Russian team from competing in Pyeongchang in February over
widespread doping at the last edition of the Winter Games in
2014.

However, they will be allowed to compete as "Olympic Athletes
from Russia" under the Olympic flag. Gold medalists won't hear
the Russian anthem played on the podium.

The IOC says the OAR team will be invitation-only, picked by a
panel of anti-doping and medical officials from various
organizations.

To be invited, Russian athletes must meet the usual Olympic
qualifying standards but also "be considered clean to the
satisfaction of the panel," meaning they can't have been
previously banned for doping and must face extensive pre-Games
drug testing.

It's not yet clear if Russian athletes plan to challenge these
requirements in court. An IOC attempt to bar Russians with
previous doping bans from last year's Summer Olympics was
overturned at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.